Great new cd from this indie rock band. Not as noise-pop as previous releases, this is their most accessible album yet. The vocals are more up front, which I like, and more songs seem complete as compared to what I thought were just ideas for songs on earlier cd's.

Beta Band- Heroes To Zeros

Oh yeah, their best cd, imo. I know old timey fans of theirs like the earlier stuff better but this cd rocks more, has much better vocals, song structure and lyrics. Dig it!

In Blood- Holly Golightly & Billy Childish

This is from 1999 but sooo...I just heard it for the 1st time the other day. Holly & Billy used to be in seperate punk bands but this is record is more folky with a punk attitude I guess. Their duets are fun, meant for fun and there's a great chemistry here.

Mr.Airplane Man- C'Mon DJ

Two females garage punk indie rock blues lo-fi knock your socks off music! Yeah, comparisons to the White Stripes are here but these ladies are great and they get greater on this disc.

Well I wanted to hear what the hype was all about. Jack White produces & plays in the back up band, The Do-Whaters (some members of the Greenhornes are here, too, they're a fantastic garage punk band). Some really good songs hereespecially "Portland Oregon". Lynn's voice is strong & her songwriting is pretty good. No strings or annoying background singers which was what I had expected. It's a good as cd as on would expect from any other contemporay country female artist that straddles the line between popular & alternative country, such as Patty Loveless. Plus that backing band & White's production helps a lot.

V/A Lemme Take You to the Beach

Whoah! This a surf instrumental tribute to the music of Frank Zappa. Not a bad track here, this is an excellent tribute. Some of the best of surf instrol's up-n-coming bands are here such as The Bitch Boys, Urban Surf Kings, The Diamondheads, and The Atomic Mosquitos. Lotta great reverb in Zappa's music, who woulda thunk that?

V/A Death Disco

Funk/punk/disco crossover music from the late '70s-early '80s. They're finally starting to reissue this stuff on cd, so here's a cool comp to begin with & remember or hear for the first time some of these great bands. Featured here are Throbbing Gristle, Gang Of 4, Cabaret Voltaire, Human League, Delta 5, The Normal, Lounge Lizards, Brian Eno, XTC and lots more. More rock based than dance but lotsa fun.

If you wish people were still making albums like Blonde On Blonde or Strange Days this is the band for you.

Wearing their 60s and 70s influences on their sleeves The Stands believe in the old adage that there is only one song, people just keep playing it at different speeds. They've slowed the song back down, and it's all the better for their efforts.

Hey Smirky, have you heard The Ponys? Garage punk band who I think- not sure though- are from your part of the country? Been tryin' to nab me their debut cd but it's sold out locally & sells out really quick-like.

Last week was surf instrumental week for me. New cd's by Reef Rider, Surfin' Robots , and The Quiets were rotating on my player. Love that reverb stuff!

Hmmm... anyone read Pop Culture Press? Nice little magazine about indie rock and other genres. Always comes with a fun sampler of newsongs. Latest comp features Ani Difranco, Fastball, Trashcan Sinatras, Von Bondies, local Indhickianians the Impossible Shapes and a bunch of other great artists. A fun read with a great listen.

Went retro with James Chance & the Contortions "Last Chance" cd. '80s white funk punk. Cool as all get out if you like that kinda thing.

Finally found a copy of The Shakes, acool garage band with beats right outta the'60s. Contains a great cover of "Oops I Did It Again" but done pop-punky.

V/A Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit. I think this came out in '01. Anywho, it's an excellent comp of Detroit based punk-garage-pop bands. The White Stripes have a cool track here I never heard before, "Red Death At 6:14". Plus great tunes by The Come Ons, Detroit Cobras, Soledad Brothers, Clone Deffects, the Paybacks, among others, including The Von Bondies, who'll probably not want to be on the same comp with Jack White ever again heehee.

Bought some el cheapo punk cd's at a record store in Indy- Soledad Brothers, The Kaisers, Mondo Topless and a comp called B-Movie Rat. Mondo Topless was really fun humorous punk, I'd only heard a few of their tunes before but now will be looking for more. The B-Movie Rat comp was great, some surf instrols, some Ramones like power punk, some garagey rock punk based on horror movie themes. The Kaisers were more mid-60's Dave Clark 5-ish garage/punk and really rockin'.

Really love the new one from Juliana Hatfield called "In Exile Deo". I hope she gets her due from this one, it's real radio friendly (not that I listen to the radio). She plays a lot round here but I keep missin' seein' her. *pout* Anyhoo, great poppy stuff.

Hmmm like the new Gomez cd though it's one that took awhile to grow on me.

A disco/soul comp called Uncle Jr.'s Friday Fish Fry is excellent. Lotta rare tracks from the late 70s-early-mid 80s.

Found a used copy of a mid-90s Victoria Williams cd. She's got an odd voice, sort of Rickie Lee Jones gone demented, but i love her songs.

Finally found a copy of "Folklore" from 16 Horsepower. Southern Gothic neo-gospel alternative country rock with heavy on the doom & gloom in the lyrics. Odd that the lead singer kinda sounds like Neil Diamond on a couple tracks. Or maybe my speakers just need a cleaning.

Delta is a psychedelic/garage band from the UK and "Singularity" is their latest cd. It's a compilation from singles they've released & early songs never released before. There's a droney Neil Young-ish quality to it. Definately one of my fave cd's of '04.

Finally listened to the new Wilco cd, "A Ghost is Born". This record is much better (me thinks) than their previous one that got all the hoopla. "Company In My Back" & "Theologians" are my fave songs on here. Just wish they were still having Lolapalooza so i could see these guys live. *pout* The one annoying thing about the cd is that a couple songs end off with a long drone thing, especially one tune that drones on for about 5 minutes! Why why why do bands do this? It's so fricken annoying. Just end the song dammit! I know a lot of bands do this, maybe it's to drag out space on the cd but hello- the best albums ever made are usually 35-45 minutes long with songs that say what they have to say and then end it right fricken there! I think this could be called the "Oasis Factor" as those smug jerks in Oasis could take an otherwise 3 minute song and extend it 5, 6, 7 more minutes just with annoying humming or endless repeating of stoopid words or a moog synthesizer doing stoopid musical doodling.

Don't get me wrong, Wilco's one of my fave bands but they need to get off the drone wagon and remember their roots- Uncle Tupelo- a band who said it in all in simple short songs.

Also got 311's Greatest Hits which was pretty cool. It's a hey-hit-the-highway-roll down-the-window-crank-up-the-ol'-cd-player kinda album. Nice cover of The Cure's "Love Song". Speaking of which, I gotta get that new Cure cd. I needs cured of these summertime blues which have me heading for the newest Johnny Winter cd but that's for the next post I post in here.

Listened to the Wilco album the other day through Windows Media Player. Gotta agree with you on the drone thing. That second to last song has that horrible drone effect for over 10 minutes. It took lots of effort not to grind my teeth.

Antibalas Afro-funk done Fela Kuti style this stuff is sooooo cool. Check out the 12 minute long "Who is this America Dem Speak of Today". Rad!

Phish's pfinal phrecord- phfantastic. Me like "Crowd Control' & "Mess Me" de best. They get better & better then they break up, least til the obligatory reunion in a few years.

The newest from Brian Wilson. Beach-y Boys stuff to the max, if ya like that sorta sound, as i do. Great cd.

A cd of cover tunes by the North Mississippi All-Stars is excellent. Fun bluesy white boy rock n roll. Foghat for the '00s (though their regular cd's are much more brilliant stuffage).

N.E.R.D. oooo i love this neo-modern dancey-soul stuff. Much much better than what i thought it would be. Glad i heard it playing in the record store.

Rachel Yamagata Lawdy i loves hearing this babe sing! "Happenstance" is her first cd & it's excellent all the way through. This is Leona Naess/Fiona Apple style pop/rock though there's some influence from Rickie Lee Jones & a popier Joni Mitchell & Laura Nyro comin' through too. "Letter Read", "1963" and the final "hidden" unnamed track are the best of this all-round great cd. Get it! Now!

Also liked new garagey rock cd's from The Shakes & The 45's.

Also excellent all-the-way thru is the cd by The Killers. Has a cool 80s' sound to it, early U2, maybe some Human League, though with a modern punky ooomph! to it. Killer stuff, get it, now!

Got the new Dr.John cd and it's pretty good. This is one of those "famous guest singer" kinda albums. BB King, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, Cyril Neville all guest sing here but the Doc has such a cool voice why bother with guests? Though i wouldn't mind hearing Leon Russell duet with Dr.John. A few standard songs, some Mac tunes, some instrumentals- recommended for die-hard fans.

The new one from The Hives arrived today in the mail & i just gave it a spin. Not as instantly loveable as their last cd but it's one that i know will grow on me like fungus with more listens. Gotta play this in the car player on a hot day- it's a road record for sure. "Antidote" is a killer tune & "Walk Idiot Walk" oughta be a top ten hit.

Nuggets- 16 Nuggets of Funk OOOOooo a killer comp of great funk & soul from all over the world. Lotta instrumental tracks here but such a great variety. Best vocal tune is "Mystifying Mama" by Marva Brown, sort of a psychedelic soul song.

The new one from Pollo Del Mar was blaring on the car cd player today. Anyone else like surf instrumental music? Pollo Del Mar is just about the world's best surf instrol band as far as putting out consistantly excellent original surf rock tunes. Surf music i love, surf waves from storms in my basement, no thank you.

French pop band Phoenix with a great new cd out called "Alphabetical". Cool summery pop with a twist of lite electronica.

The newest Rev Horton Heat is still good raw rockabilly rock though not as wild as before. But still great not as wild but still good just not as energic all over but still excellent just different but still fantastic but just a wacky calm in places but still highly recommended.

quote:Originally posted by Smirk Morgan:Poor _xc_. I haven't had any money to buy any CDs lately. How 'bout I tell you my wish list?

there's more, but then I'll get all depressed because I can't get them right now, lol

Poor Nora! Hey, since you're a lawyer, can't you sue the *boo, hiss* record industry *hiss, boo* for over-pricing cd's & maybe get a truck load of free cd's every month as a settlement? I'd drive there & help unload the truck.

I printed out my short-term cd want list today & it was 3 pages long. Short term cuz i usually only get 'em if i can get 'em used or cheap online. Plus i'm just now buying some '90s music on cd since i can finally find 'em dirt cheap. Used Weezer cd's for a few bucks- ok, a long wait but they sound soooo good being so cheap.